Safe and Sound
by Flower of Venus
Summary: The story of Zuko, a stranger, and a song. Set shortly after the episode Zuko Alone. One-shot


I'm half asleep while writing this... but when I started listening to this song I just couldn't get this scene out of my head, so I wrote it. I don't really consider it too much of a song fic, to me a song fic has a different arrangement with the song, but if you believe this is one and that annoys you then you are free to flame me or not read, your choice in the matter.

I do hope that the people who read this little one-shot enjoy it though. And if you happen to enjoy it enough to tell me so that would make me very happy. :)

Without further ado...

* * *

Zuko rode alone along the small desert path, sleep fighting to take him. The dark night was lit only by the sliver of the moon and the many stars that dotted the sky. His half lidded eyes caught only small glimpses of his surroundings though he didn't dare try to open them any further for fear the strain would push him over the edge to the land of dreams and nightmares.

Something caught the young prince's attention in the distance, something beautiful. The sound of a soft humming and the strumming of a guitar came from the side of the road a few yards ahead of him. With much difficulty, he forced his head up just slightly to peer at the one making the sweet sound. A fire burnt down to glowing embers lit the face of a woman, her eyes closed and her mouth set in a gentle line as she hummed with the guitar on her lap. Zuko pulled on the reins of his ostridge-horse so it stopped in front of the girl. She looked up at the stranger and smiled gently, continuing her strumming.

"Song for a weary traveler?" She asked in a soft and kind voice that reminded Zuko scarily of a ghost from his past, a past he refused to visit by choice.

The firebender nodded at her and simply watched as her fingers moved along the neck of the instrument. The tone of it was higher now and her finger plucked at the strings quicker than before.

"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'd never let you go," the woman began to sing. To Zuko the girl's voice was like honey, sweet and something he had not had in many years. "When all the shadows almost killed your light... I remember you said don't leave me here alone... But all that's gone and dead and past tonight..."

Zuko closed his eyes for the first time in what seemed like so long. His head bowed and the music washed over him further, sending his mind off to dance along the line of reality and a place of fantasy.

"Just close you eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright... no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe... and.. sound..."

The prince fought off his mind's pushing want and desires to cross that line into the world of fantasy and forced himself back to reality, opening his eyes to see the girl smiling down at the embers in front of her, her fingers moving expertly over the guitar. As though she realized she was being watched, the girl's head slowly lifted up and her eyes stared up into the eyes of the man in front of her. Zuko watched her lips part as though in slow motion and another round of her sweet tones enveloped him.

"Don't you dare look out your window, darlin' everything's on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on... Curled up to this lullaby... Even when the music's gone.. gone... Just close you eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright... no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe... and... sound..."

The girl's mouth formed a small 'o' and she sent gentle "Oooh"s into the dark night. For some reason Zuko felt as though this girl could have calmed the fighting and war and bloodshed with this simple lullaby. But of course... he knew too well that she was too late with her song.

He interrupted her song with a sharp smack of his reins and his stead sped off away from her voice and the small light that glowed around her. As Zuko looked off into the night he felt the smallest tinge of regret at leaving her there alone. He furrowed his brow in frustration of the girl getting to him and directed the animal back again, as his mind had already decided.

Once he reached her now silent form he simply stared down at her and she stared in return, a strange curiosity and sadness swimming in the deep pools of her eyes.

"Didn't like the song?" She finally asked, breaking the almost century long silence.

The firebender gave a bit of a grunt, looked away, then looked back and lowered his hand to her. "It didn't change anything. But... it might. Are you coming or what?"

With the smallest bit of caution she laid her hand in his and stood, swinging her instrument to her back. "Where are we going?"

Using the last bit of real strength his body held he helped her up onto the ostridge-horse where there was barely enough room for both of their bodies. "Does it matter?"

She gave a small chuckle and Zuko was reminded of her singing. "I guess not. As long as it's forward."

Zuko took a glance back at her then looked straight ahead of him. "That's the only place a person can go." With a hard smack of the reins the two rode off further into the desert, going forward in more ways than they even dared to understand.


End file.
